From Time to Eternity
by DreamEscape16
Summary: She knows its not the end. She will see him again, but he might be a bit late as usual. Peggy/Steve.


**From Time to Eternity **

**All characters rightfully belong to Marvel Comics**

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><p>The dark shadow of the war faded. The Valkyrie was gleaming and spearheading towards the east horizon. Inside, Captain Steve Rogers felt the world tilting as the aircraft was gliding through the intangible clouds.<p>

He unstrapped his helmet and tasted the copper tang of blood trickling down his throat as he stumbled to regain balance in his boots. The ice blue cube rolled over the grates and he felt dizzy for a few seconds. Tiny squares of light cut through the darkness of his focused pupils as the crystal azure irises held tears that seeped from the corners of his steady eyes. He felt the warmth of the sunrise bathe over his ash smudged and bruised face. He had to seize one last act of valor. This was his choice. He couldn't bail out-not when thousand lives were at stake- he had to make the ultimate sacrifice. He had laid down his life.

_How am I going to do this?_

Steve made an oath in his resilient heart to protect the lives of the world. He made a promise to never lose himself in the semblance of Captain America. He didn't want to be a hero, a monumental figure of his time. He just wanted to do what had been right, and finish his brave act of immeasurable strength

.With one pound of his heart wracking against his ribs, Steve grabbed the controls as he felt the aircraft rotate three axes against the air currents into the center of gravity. It was not going to be an easy task. He wasn't a pilot. He was a soldier.

Gasping out a sharp breath, he grabbed the "W" shape control yoke of the aircraft that would give him control of the attitude of the plane as the cockpit became filled with warm light. He squeezed his gloved hands against the controls, rotating the wheel and the ailerons and the roll axis. The wind rushed through the glass of the cockpit, lashing over his tensed cheekbones as he tried to pull back the nose of the aircraft, but nothing worked._  
><em>

When he pushed the yoke forward the nose lowered. The decrease of gravity struck him down, his muscles locked against the chair as his blonde hair whipped over his broad forehead. The world was different up there. No plumes of smoke rising from smoldering tanks and metal frames of vehicles. No fields of the fallen young man. It was were clusters of clouds around him, pearly white against the pale blue sky. The sun was a gleaming jewel to his far right/ Almost like heaven was opened up to bring him home to his family-his father, mother and Bucky.

_No sacrifice. No victory._

His eyes only flicked down once to gaze below him. It was soon to become his final resting place. The vast Arctic waters covered with flawless ice. It seemed peaceful and serene, even though its depth was an abyss of freezing and dark water. He wasn't afraid to plunge into it no more how much anguish he felt in his heart. Death was waiting for him. Eternal sleep that was a soldier's greatest reward. He wondered if Bucky felt this way before the icy river under the bridge swallowed him up after the fall. His ma told him that death was quicker than falling asleep. Just a breath taken when the iron curtains of life roll up and he sees the journey's end. He had to say goodbye to Peggy. No more how painful it will be, he had to hear her English accent one last time. Closing his eyes, he held onto the memory of their kiss. The greatest thing he had ever felt.

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><p><em>Time was betraying him. The lights became streaks against the hard graphite of his cowl as Schmidt's vehicle was racing down the runway of the airplane hanger. He was close to Peggy, so close to see every shade of red painted on her full lips. His heart was pounding like a freight train reaching full acceleration. Her dark ringlets blowing in the wind, as her deep and rich chocolate eyes looked up at him with desperation. <em>_Yet, she found a calmness of hope in her deep gaze. Hesitation and doubt controlled his emotions, he was a fraction of inch, almost a breath away to finally seal his love to her on those beautiful lips. He had his utmost to regress all disbelief, and focused on her._

_Steve hovered over her, warring with himself. His heart aching to hold her in his arms while his mind told him to maintain a vow of silence. His head hung low while his shoulders trembled with uncertainty. It wasn't long before he felt her soft hand come to rest on his arm, gently turning him away from gloomy scenario of HYDRA's warpath and back towards the light - towards her. His head hung low and he stared with a racing heart at her deep brown eyes and polished lips._

_When Peggy pulled her lips closet to his jaw, soothing warmth brushed over his quivering mouth as his large shaky hand stroked gently in the mass of her chocolate strands, and then, he slowly shadowed her lips with equal heat._

_Steve felt himself treading a dangerous, yet intoxicating course, one that may ultimately make the weight of his loss and responsibly all the more heavy. But neither logic nor honor could prevent him from pressing his soft lips onto hers. Like so many times before, a jolt of heat moved through his blood as he felt her melt beneath his touch. If death was waiting for him at the end of the mission, she gave him no sign of fear. To his utter joy and excitement, he felt her lips move against his own with a hungry passion that was contagious as he kissed her hard enough to take her breath away. It was a spark of life he needed. Her mouth danced under his wet caress as time froze around them. Then, as he pulled away, slowly, grasping her lips for another second, his blue eyes locked with her dark ones._

_"When you're done. I'm taking you dancing. Now... Go get him." She said, with her trademark coy grin; and her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him, even though she felt the detachment of her love shield over his heart. Steve nodded and gave her a weak smile, and then placed his focus on the wheel of the speeding aircraft, he climbed out of the vehicle's side, and hoisted his massive body upwards. He never looked back at her._

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><p>"I've gotta put her in the water," the captain said with a heartfelt tone, his voice breaking. Agent Carter was thousands of miles away from him, but he still felt the heat of her red lips on his own. He needed to tell her everything in those last moments. His chance to confess his love to her and make her believe that hope would never fade. He needed her to be strong and stubborn for both of them.<p>

Looking passively out at the horizon, Steve fumbled his hands over the pouches of his uniform, and then he placed the compass on the control panel as he stared intently at the newspaper cutout of her picture. The pressure in the cockpit was dropped, his burning eyes were seared with flecks of snow, but he kept on looking at her.

"Peggy,"

"Steve," he heard her quiet voice cut through the radio. "I'm here."

His pale blue eyes welled with pain filled tears. This was his final goodbye to her. Sweat drenched over his filthy brow as his chest heaved for breath. "I'm going to need a rain check on that dance." He wanted to sound hopeful, and give a sense of comfort.

Peggy sat near the radio controls inside the HYDRA command center, her teary brown eyes held deepest regret, but she put on her brave face, and eased her own pain for him. She released her shaky words, and felt her heart breaking. "Alright." she paused to collect her courage. Damn. She couldn't gather enough to keep her tears from trailing down her pale cheeks. "A week... Next Saturday at the Stork Club." She allowed those words to meet up with him, falling pieces of herself trailing with each breath.

"You've got it," he avowed, feeling the weight of her sorrow push against his heart.

She needed to see his handsome and chiseled face once again, and stare into those light blue eyes that held so much strength and fire. She regained her stern composure, and issued out her orders, with pleasant and matter of fact voice. "Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"

Steve was going to miss hearing her English voice. He had to pretend for her. He had to imagine one perfect moment with his nervous hands holding her against his broad form like a shield. Her silky brown hair curly and beautiful face shimmering under the dim light as the red dress sparkled when his finger caressed over her hips. He held onto that moment, burying deep, deep into his thundering heart as blood tugged at his veins. If I can't dance with her on earth, I am sure to do it in heaven. He thought his eyes locked on the frozen wasteland, he was seconded from impact.

"You know, I don't know how to dance." he revealed with his honest voice.

Hearing those words, Peggy pressed her lips into rigid line, and tore her eyes away from the controls. She unleashed another flow of tears, but she gathered herself. She always put on her tough exterior in dire moments. She sealed her eyes shut for a moment, remembering him-the true Steven Grant Rogers- his face was thin more gaunt and his cheeks fallen. He hardly looked twenty five, just a sickly boy, but his blue eyes held the unbreakable determination to fight the bullies. She would always have that image of him locked in her memories. She would never let him go. "I'll show you how. Just be there."

"We'll have the band play something slow," he said, trying to preserve their conversation as his time was lessening. He was being swallowed into the thick whiteness of the ice. Everything was moving, vicious and fast as he was blinded by his tears. This was it. His last stand against the opposition of HYDRA. He released his grip on the yoke. He almost felt his bones jarring at the impact was imitating.

It took the utmost of his strength to say a few more words. Just few. His muscles jostled as the chair rattled underneath him, snow lashed over his face, cutting through the skin.

He closed his eyes, and shut out the world in front of him and allowed his mind to create a memory of her as he held Peggy in the embrace of his arms, holding her forever. He never wanted to let her go. His bloodless lips managed to curl up into sheepish, and boyish grin. He gave himself to the icy waters. He gave his soul for his country, the world and her. "I hate to step on your-"

"Steve?"

Everything froze. Ice engulfed the cockpit, the glass exploded, the metal frames crushed him as the plane contorted and twisted in its impact with the frozen ground. The straits of bending steel deafened his eyes, becoming emblazon as the water encased and thrashed against his chest. His lungs froze as the thralls of pain lasted for a few seconds before he went under.

He struggled to move, gritting his teeth as blood churned in his stomach. His skull pounded, and heart swelled as he tried to overcome the agony of drowning. His eyes opened into a crack, just enough to see gleams of light above him. He reached up his hand, desperately trying to pull himself out, but torrents of blood clotted his throat, and invaded his lungs. His body jerked wildly, protesting for attempts of freedom from the penetrating coldness. He struggled to breath, the pressure of the rushing water currents choking him. He couldn't feel. He was numb and he was falling backwards.

_"I'm not afraid of dying, Buck..."_

_Bucky placed his hand over his bony shoulder, allowing warm to break through the coldness grinding at the frail and brittle bones. His blue eyes bright, and full lips pulled into a brotherly smile. "Remember, I'm with you until the end of the line, pal."_

Steve smiled one last time, and clutched the compass in his frozen hand. His heart ceased to beat. He felt every push of water wracking against him, pulling him under... Until he closed his eyes and fell asleep in peace.

The mission was completed.

_Goodbye... My best girl._

He was going home...

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><p><em>1946...<em>

"I don't need your bloody help, Mr. Jarvis." Peggy protested through clenched teeth, her defiant brown eyes looking at the needle threading up her gunshot wound.

She sat on the couch still dressed in her button up blouse and skirt. She was under the care and service of Howard's faithful and resilient butler Edwin Jarvis. His crisp grayish-blue eyes looked up at her with great regard of concern.

She stubbornly averted his gaze, and released a sigh. "My line of work will end up getting you killed if you are apart of this mission." She pressed her burgundy lips into a taut line. "This is something I must handle on my own, Jarvis. I have made a promise to a friend that I would do everything in my power to set things right... I am breaking it because his stubborn butler decided to become a Howling Commando under my watch."

Jarvis took off his glasses, and looked steadily into her chocolate eyes. "You need my help, Agent Carter. I made a promise to Mr. Stark that I would protect you in whatever ways I can."

He narrowed his blue eyes at her wounded leg with disapproval written on his distinguished face.

"Seeing that you got shot on my first venture suggests that I must try harder." he smiled lightly, and stared deeply into her eyes, discovering her pain and grief. "Captain Rogers didn't do his final mission alone."

Peggy became a softy eyed.

"He had you for support. You help him save the world that day." He placed his hand atop of hers, holding in gently. "You are an extraordinary woman, Agent Carter. You are meant for much greater things. One day you will come to understand that truth and find him again when you look inside yourself."

Then, as if sensing her heartache, Jarvis took out a small photo of his medical bag. "Mr. Stark wanted me to give this to you, Agent Carter." He handed the photo to her, and placed it in her hand. "It's something that will give you strength for your mission." he said soothingly.

Peggy flicked her jeweled brown eyes down at the photo, and then she smiled contently at the memory, letting her gaze, staring beyond the black and white saturation of the picture of Captain Steve Rogers. He looked strong and noble. He wore his dark green military uniform, and his blonde hair was combed with a wave parting to the side. Like he always styled it. His eyes were light and broad jaw set as he listened to the battle plans. She didn't cry. She was in wonderment and felt the warmth of his lips enfold over hers.

"There he is..." she uttered her words, and choked them up a little, her dark eyes still locked on the photo. "The bravest and least selfless man I have ever come to know. Captain Rogers was my..."

Jarvis gave her a crisp smile, and patted her knee, "You don't have to say it. I already know." he whispered, peacefully.

Peggy curled her red lips into smirk; accepting his words, and then she dismissed, "As you were, Mr. Jarvis." She smiled a little more at him all the while holding the Steve photo close. He was always going to be with her. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us."


End file.
